内布拉斯加 (Nèi bù lā sī jiā) — Nebraska

Definition

noun
Nebraska

Examples

  • 内布拉斯加。
    Nèi bù lā sī jiā Shì měi guó de yí gè zhōu.
    Nebraska is a state in the United States.
  • 。
    Wǒ shū shu zhù zài Nèi bù lā sī jiā de shǒu fǔ lín kěn shì.
    My uncle lives in Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska.
  • 内布拉斯加。
    Nèi bù lā sī jiā Yǐ qí guǎng kuò de píng yuán ér wén míng.
    Nebraska is famous for its vast plains.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
音译yīnyìTransliteration

The characters spell the sound of a foreign word; their individual meanings play no part.

内nèi
布bù
拉lā
斯sī
加jiā

The characters carry no meaning here; 内布拉斯加 spells the name Nebraska.

Sound-only characters

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
巾巾jīnkerchief
Sound part声符shēngfú
父
父fù布bù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

布 pairs 巾, a kerchief, with 父 as a sound part.

Open 布 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 斯 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

加 pairs 力 and 口. In one explanation 力 is strength and 口 is the mouth, meaning exaggeration; in another 力 is plowing effort and 口 is breath or exclamation, meaning extra effort.

Open 加 →

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